Chiefs Need to Figure Out How to Draft Cornerbacks

Looking back at the Chiefs drafts since 2013, Andy Reid’s first year with the team, there have been some major highlights. Guys like RB Kareem Hunt, TE Travis Kelce, WR Tyreek Hill, DE Chris Jones and OG Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff have all been non-1st round selections that have panned out in a big way and make up the core of the team in many ways. One position KC has struggled greatly to figure out in the draft is CB.

The best player the Chiefs have taken at the position in five years, Marcus Peters, was recently traded to the LA Rams. Let’s take a look at what the team has done since 2013.

2013

Sam Commings, Georgia (5th round)

The just couldn’t stay healthy. He hung around the organization for a while but never was able to make any kind of an impact.

2014

Phillip Gaines, Rice (3rd round)

Gaines never could put it all together. He struggled with injuries and had just one interception in his four seasons as a Chief.

2015

Marcus Peters, Washington (1st round)

A highlight pick of former GM John Dorsey, Peters was a handful, as advertised, but also gave KC three excellent seasons on the cheap, as well as compensation from the Rams in a trade.

Steven Nelson, Oregon State (3rd round)

Nelson has been just okay so far. Going into the final season of his rookie contract in 2018, Nelson is the only returning CB from last year that played significant snaps. He still has a fair amount to prove.

2016

KeiVarae Russell, Notre Dame (3rd round)

The worst selection if five Dorsey drafts, Russell never played a snap for KC as he was cut before the start of his rookie season.

Eric Murray, Minnesota (4th round)

Now converted to FS, Murray did his best to hold down the fort last year when Eric Berry found himself on IR after one game. He may play a lot this year too with the release of Ron Parker opening up a lot of snaps for someone to claim. However, he is not a CB.

D.J. White, Georgia Tech (6th round)

White hung around for a season and a half before being released last year. He never made much of an impact.

2017

Leon McQuay, USC (6th round)

He spent most of the year on the practice squad and likely will not pay CB in the NFL as he is more of a FS type of player.

Add in the trade for Kenneth Acker, whom the Chiefs gave up this year’s 7th round pick to acquire, who is also no longer with the team, and you have a total of nine draft choices the Chiefs have used at the position with only Nelson to show for it. This is a major black eye to their scouting and coaching. While the team has begun the rebuilding of the position with the acquisition of Kendall Fuller in the Alex Smith trade, as well as signing veteran David Amerson on a one year “prove it” deal, there is still a lot of work to be done. This year’s draft class is loaded from top to bottom with talent at CB. Brett Veach needs to prove he’s better than his predecessor at finding talent at a crucial spot.